April 22 is Earth Day, a time to raise awareness about the importance of being environmentally friendly. Being ‘green’ also saves you green, as in money! Small changes to your lifestyle will save your wallet and the planet. On this Earth Day, make it your goal to adjust your daily routine to ensure that you’re doing good for the environment – and your money. The Department of Energy says the energy bill for most single family households each year is about $2,200 – imagine if you could reduce that amount! We’ve compiled some ways to be ‘green’ and save green:
1. Your Home –Besides turning off the lights and your computer when they are not in use, there are some changes you can make to your home, without spending tens of thousands of dollars on solar panels, for example. First off, change all of the light bulbs in your house to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). These are more expensive bulbs than the traditional incandescent ones, but they use 75% less energy, according to the Department of Energy, which in a few years will pay for itself with the energy savings.
2. Bottled Water – We’ve all bought bottled water – it’s convenient, relatively cheap and disposable. There are two major problems with bottled water. First, every time you throw out a used water bottle, that bottle is going to sit for years in a landfill and take decades to decompose – not good for the environment. Also, according to Beverage Marketing, sales of bottled waster in the United States reached $11.7 billion in 2007. Think of how much money you would save if you simply purchased a regular water bottle for $15 that is not disposable and can constantly be reused – it’s a no brainer!
3. Lower Your Water Heater - Here’s another interesting point about water. The U.S. Department of Energy says that for every 10 degree decrease in the temperature of your water heater, you’ll eliminate around 3-5% of energy costs.
4. Replace Shower Head – Replace your existing shower head with a 2.5 gallon per minute head – this uses fewer gallons of water and shower heads save you around $145 per year in energy costs, according to the Department of Energy. By the way, if you have a leaky faucet, it’s a good idea to fix it because leaky faucets cost $35 every year in energy costs, says the Department of Energy.
5. Treat the Windows – If you don’t have blinds on the windows in your home, you may want to invest in some. Window treatments are usually expensive but, according to the Department of Energy, a window that receives lots of sunlight with closed blinds, can reduce about 45% of the heat from that sunny window. If you live in a warm climate and it’s usually sunny outside, window treatments will save you hundreds of dollars per year in energy costs.
If you plan on making home renovations in order to save money and the environment (solar panels, new windows, etc.), you may be eligible for certain tax credits. For more information on these tax credits, visit www.energystar.gov.
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